When using a rowing machine, practicing good form is essential if you want to get the most out of your workout. It’s helpful to have a rowing instructor or coach familiar with the machine teach you the correct way to row.
Catch, Drive, Recovery: It’s important to learn the four main phases of rowing: catch, drive, finish, and recovery. Peloton rowing instructor Alex Karwoski says your starting position should look like this: “From the fully compressed position—your arms should be extended, your body rotated forward at a slight angle, and your knees close to your chest.” From here, you want to push with your legs to drive the seat and handle the screen. Karwoski explains, “For the first third to half of the drive, our legs are doing most of the work while our arms and body are braced and maintaining pressure.” Then, when the shins reach about 45 degrees to the ground, the body swing begins. He says the key to body swing is to think about “adding momentum” to the handle. The legs have started to move the internal flywheel, and this is where the legs and body can work together to further accelerate the flywheel. “Finally, our arms wrap right at the end of the stroke and we pull the handle to our chest,” he says. Once all of this is complete, you begin the recovery phase of the stroke, which is the exact opposite, and the arms first move away from the body, followed by the body rotating forward, and the legs compacting to return to the catch.
Don’t misuse drag factor: Drag factor is usually displayed as a damper knob on a traditional rower. On more modern rowers, like some of those mentioned on this list, it’s built into the software. “Most people assume that changing it from, say, a 3 to a 10 makes the machine harder, but what it actually does is simply increase the rate at which the flywheel slows down, and thus makes the stroke feel heavier because now it’s like you’re rowing through molasses instead of water,” explains Karwoski. In other words, avoid confusing “drag factor” with “speed level” or “intensity.”
Know what the primary measurement is: The primary unit is being measured when your line is issued. Karwoski explains that when you row, each stroke takes a certain amount of time, so the work being measured is the force applied to move the flywheel. He says, “From the output, we can derive the division, which is given in terms of the time it would take to row 500 meters at your output and distance.” Another metric to look at is the stroke rate, which is the number of strokes you will take, if you maintain your current pace, in one minute. “I encourage people to focus on the output, because that’s the big number usually right in the middle of the screen,” Karwoski said. Keep in mind that different rowing machines have different metrics that are highlighted, but ultimately, it’s about how much force you can apply through the unit to move the flywheel.
Rowing precautions: As with any form of exercise, it’s important to get your doctor’s approval if you have any health problems or are pregnant. “If you’re returning from an injury—and that injury doesn’t prohibit you from sitting on a rowing machine—rowing can be a gentler way to reset your cardiovascular fitness,” says Katie Wang, a Peloton rowing instructor. This is a good way to get the benefits of a cardio workout while taking care of your joints and knees.
